Serena Williams Defeatedbr in 2019 French Open Williams lost in the third round of thebr French Open to 20-year-old Sofia Kenin. The Russian-born American defeated Williamsbr 6-2 and 7-5 and is ranked No. 35 in the world. Williams is a three-time winner of thebr French Open and ranked No. 10, but came intobr this year’s competition with minimal preparation. She had been combating both a sprainedbr ankle and a left knee injury for months. Williams had also been out of practice,br having only played nine matches sincebr the Australian Open in January 2019. This is Williams’ earliest Grand Slam exit since herbr dramatic withdrawal from Wimbledon in 2014,br which was reportedly due to a viral illness. It is also only the third time in herbr career that she’s lost to a younger U.S. player. Following her loss, Williams took to Instagram tobr address the situation with a motivational message.